Archive for the ‘life’ Category

I asked because I got this link from a friend about the Amansala’s Bikini Bootcamp. I did a bit of research and found out that Amansala is located in Tulum in Mexico. Talk about wishful thinking on my part. Not in a million years will I be able to visit that place (with an allowance like mine hehe)

So anyway, it’s nice to know how resorts are doing a lot of healthy activities for their clients these days, and since spring is coming (then summer…), I think everybody needs a bootcamp or two to trim those baggages from the past holiday events.

Just read the description to give you an idea:

You might also join the resort’s acclaimed Bikini Boot Camp, where days start with a beach or jungle power walk followed by a combination of body sculpting, power ab sessions or pilates, and end with yoga and meditation…..Mayan clay treatments, lots of agua di limon and plenty of sunshine. Because you’re sure to work up an appetite, healthy low-fat cuisine includes luscious local flavors, such as mangoes and freshly caught grilled fish.

Sounds sweet! and super healthy too! I’m trying to motivate my boyfriend to work harder so he can treat me on valentines here (but says probably valentines for 2020 hahah), so I guess I’ll just have to keep on dreaming 🙂

Sucks bigtime that I haven’t updated my blog in a week now. It’s not that I’m lazy, but with the busy schedule I have (projects in school keep piling up.. boo), today would be the only time for me to really concentrate and write.

But I don’t have anything to write about. Uh-Oh.

I surfed the net for tips on writing- not merely writing – but getting yourself inspired to write. Honestly, aside from being busy to write, we all get into what is lovingly called the Writer’s Block. Let me share a few tips I’ve read recently that I feel is working for me.

I’m sure everybody can learn a thing or two about getting out of “the writer’s block”.

Do something else. Instead of writing, get out of the house and take a walk. I think they call this incubation. When you need a solution for a problem (this being you don’t have anything to write!), it’s recommended to get out of your head for a while, and forget anything related to that problem. Usually, during the course of “doing something else”, the solution pops into your head, making you shout “Eureka!!!”.

Get a newspaper or a magazine and start reading. Get inspiration from reading other people’s point of view, and whether you agree with them or take a contrary stand, write about it. Read, read, read.

Force yourself to write. How? You can either follow Hemingway and sit down in front of your monitor for an hour a day at the same time, or you can cut of small pieces of paper, write a single word on it (name of a place, event, person, an adjective, an adverb just make sure it’s a word). Put it in a small box and every time you can’t think of anything to write, pick 1 piece of paper and that word you chose? Write about it. Let your imagination run wild.

Now if these tips don’t motivate you enough, paste a copy of your credit card statements or bills on the side of your monitor (assuming you’re writing for a living), and I’m sure you’ll agree that is ENOUGH motivation! 🙂

I was browsing through a friend’s site when I saw her article about baby names (not that I’m interested to have one at the moment haha), and one of the things that stood out of her post was how the Chinese (not all of them I suppose) selected baby names based on this philosophy they have, the I-Ching (something similar to numerology).

The letter count of first name, middle name and last name must be lucky numbers.

The sum of (1) (2) (3) and (4) letter counts between names must be lucky numbers

So if you have 5 letters for your first name, check the table to see if it’s LUCKY or FAIR.

Let’s see if mine’s lucky:

Tiana = 5 = LUCKY!

Tolentino = 9 = Doesn’t say… I guess undetermined?

(I’m not going to do step 2 because it has a lot of math haha)

The site says you can’t do anything about the last name since it’s already given, but parents can do something about the first name, and with just a few clicks, the site can give you a *magical combination* to help with selecting your baby’s name.

So.

Does this mean my name ain’t lucky? Boo. I’m not much a believer of luck, since I’m all for the power of hard-work, but a bit of luck won’t hurt your life right?

I’m a people person, and I love it when I’m hanging out with the people I trust and admire, but it’s always been my policy, that for one day in my busy social life, to just freeze up, go anti-social – short of saying, “leave me alone”.

Don’t get me wrong though – hanging out with other people is great, but there are also some added benefits to socializing with yourself.

You get to recharge. With a bustling social calendar you have or your work/study life getting too much to handle, you have to regain that energy you’ve exerted towards those activities right? This “alone” time you have is the perfect opportunity to invigorate yourself. Your dvd of Heroes – Season 1 remains unplayed? Perfect! You’ve got all day to watch several people save the cheerleader, and you in turn, are saving yourself from burn out.

Get Creative. Admit it – your friends can get a little bit toxic these days with all the rants you’ve been hearing from them, or your brain is mostly pre-occupied with the exams you’ll be taking to get into college. Get some alone time so you can clear your head of bothersome thoughts, and start getting those “crazy” ideas out of your head.

It’s YOUR time. Your alone time, is YOURS alone. You can do whatever it is you want – whether it’s spending a day at the spa, or trying out that new game at the arcade withOUT your partner. Play that Barry Manilow song you dare not tell anyone you love – you won’t hear any teasing or booing from anyone.

My boyfriend completely understands my need for alone time, and I believe this is essential for relationships as well (remember that song which starts with, “everybody needs a little time away” haha corny I know, but I looove that song).

Giving yourself time to breathe, prioritize and get fresh ideas out of your head can do you, and the people around you, a whole lot of good.

How do you spend your “alone” time?

*this post was inspired by a rather relaxing time I had with myself during the start of the year(while listening to sappy old songs I really love). Try it yourself!

January is the perfect time for everyone to clean up their act. It can be trying to quit smoking – which is really difficult – getting your fat donque on the treadmill and start shedding the calories you piled during the holidays, or traveling to countries not regularly featured on the travel and living show. Everyone has a habit or two they can lose, or a new habit they can start practicing – to which everyone can relate to, no matter your age, or gender.

It’s been a habit of mine to start the year with resolutions. Last year, I wasn’t very successful so I’m very determined this year to, more or less, keep my resolutions not only last till January, but until the end of 2008.

Drink Enough Vitamins

I don’t eat that much fruit or vegetables, and although I think I’m healthy – no diseases or sickness last 2007 – I still think I need to get enough vitamins. At my age, if I don’t want to go under the knife when I turn 25, I need vitamins to strengthen my cells – that in turn will show through my skin. On my list of vitamins to take are Vitamin C – for collagen production, and Vitamin E – for quicker healing of the skin and better hydration. GNC has Vitamin C with time release to pace the amount of Vitamin C released in your body, and a complete multivitamin with both Vitamin C and Vitamin E and other important vitamins.

Annual check up.

For the women: when you start getting sexually active or you reach the age of 18, it’s a MUST to have a pap smear test. This helps detect the first signs of cervical cancer.

For men: prostate cancer exam, and std/hiv testing (if you have an active sex life).

For men and women: At home, you can do the stress test, the mouth test, a genital test, and a foot test(to check for athlete’s foot). Schedule an Annual Physical Fitness Test while you’re at it. Remember: your health is your responsibility.

Clean up closets

I have clothes that will never ever fit me again. I can be a bit sentimental, but my sentimentality has got to fit just 1 medium sized box, and not my whole closet. Get rid of old clothes (give them to charity if they’re still wearable), or make them into rugs you can use to wipe the stain off your kitchen counter. Jeans that are too tight can’t be salvaged so give them up as well. Can’t part with your old jeans? Keep them in your home gym or at the back of your door to remind you how thin you were back then and motivate you to lose the unnecessary pounds. Rule for throwing out/giving away clothes: if you can’t imagine wearing a piece of clothing this year or you didn’t wear it last year, then you won’t be wearing it in the next few years – put it in the bag.

If it’s not clothes keeping your closets full, and it’s all papers and bills, throw out unnecessary bills, and bills that you won’t be needing for any auditing purposes, etc. This year, go green and try to lessen paper print outs and keep most of your bills online.

Sleep more

My eyebags are the size of Mexico, and as dark as coal – I’ve been successfully hiding them with concealer which takes up a lot of time so I resolve to lessen the nights I’m out, and try to crash my bed earlier. A good 8 hours of sleep does wonders for the mind and body – faster cell regeneration, and a more alert, creative mind (this doesn’t work for all – some tend to be more creative when living off 4 hours of sleep)

Start a conversation

Not all people are endowed with the charm to talk to anyone they meet, me included. I admit there’d been times in my social life I was a wallflower. My excuse: I’m tired, I’m shy etc. Being sociable can be developed – with practice you can get better and better. Start a conversation – a nod, a smile, a small hello – the person beside you might just be as shy as you and is only waiting for you to make the first move. What have you got to lose? It sounds scary but if you start a conversation with a stranger every time you’re out, you’d have added more confidence within yourself and a worthy network of friends.

Help Others

An act where both parties benefit – you and the one you’ve helped. You can volunteer at a nearby adoption center and teach once a month, or save enough money to contribute at the end of the year. Donate clothes or furniture that you have no need for. A little act of kindness goes a long way.

Take the time to reflect

Everyone seems so busy. Everything seems so fast these days – fast food, tivo, broadband internet – sometimes it pays to slow down and smell the roses. In your busy day, devote 5 minutes to reflect. Reflect on where you are in your life, what you are doing in your life, and what you can do to keep improving. There’s always room for improvement and through these reflections, you can discover what works for you and what doesn’t. It also gives you time to breathe out all those negative emotions you’ve incurred during the day, and prioritize what’s important in your life.

It’s never too late to start fresh and make resolutions. It doesn’t matter if it’s January or the middle of September – what’s important is the effort you’ve put into writing down those resolutions. Writing them down is half the battle, and that half you’ve already won – the other half is sticking to those resolutions.